are with e i or u Elif be te the gim del dsel ze sin shin fe kef lem min nun he ye The hard with an a ha kha ra sad dad ta da ayin gayin qaf vaw Rule 6. They number by the order of the Alfabet The first nine begin from one still adding a unity arise till nine The second nine begin from ten and still adding ten arise to ninty in the third nine which is not as yet half they begin from one hundert and arise to foure hundert and so further as in the table The Arabians have the same order and numbring from whence it is clearly seen that they had formerly the same order with the Ebrue Alfabet Yet they have also another sort of figures for those nine numerall figures which as commonly esteemed they received out of the East Indies but that is but an old fable For they do arise from the Ebrue or Arabic letters You have them at the end of the table The Etiopians use the Greec letters but of a very old and rude stamp whereof you may learn by the way from the Etiopians an old kinde of Greec letters Rule 7. The number of them is two and twenty The whole tongue has 22 letters for so many and no more are in Ebrue and Samaritic Calde and Syriac Arabic and Etiopic confessed by all the Grammarians who do agree about that number Yet there are some objections 1. There are 23 consonants because Shamek or Samek Shemkat or Semkat is a letter a part Shin and sin being two divers letters which make up that number of 22. Answer Shamek or Shemkat is onely a sirname of Shin and by accident of Sin as the figure of it in Syriac shewes which is the same with the Ebrue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely closed above by quick writing performed with one stroak and joyned with the following which joyning the Jewes have not observed in their Ebrue Text and Calde paraphrast where for more perfection sake they do write all their letters a part as wee in our print The number as likewise the order in the following rule is to be demonstrated out of the Psalmes of David and the Lamentation of Jeremy The space of time betweene them both is 450 yeares almost whereof wee see the constancy of that number and order of the Alfabet In the 25 Psalme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is joyned in the 2 verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 5 verse no verse beginnes with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contrary has two verses and thus to make up the number of 22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is placed at the end In the 34 Psalme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beginnes againe the 2 verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in the 6 verse and to make up the number 22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth it yet it hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the conclusion as in the Psalme before In the 37 Psalme every letter has two verses excepting onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which have but one whereof the second doth lack The 28 verse must end in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 29th begin with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sake whereunto belongeth the 30th beginning with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is now the 29th the sum of the verses then being 41 and adding those 3 lacking it shewes plainly that the Psalme then would have 44 verses the halfe of it 22 the summe of the Letters In the 112th Psalm there are joyned two letters in one verse as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 25 and 34 Psalmes and thus would the number of the verfes be 11 but now seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is cast to the ninth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the 10th there are but 10 verses Yet in all these Psalmes there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beginning any verse but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Samek or Shamek is constantly there In the 119 Psalme there are besides 8 verses from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his order three sh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among 5 s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its order which is the only confusion I finde in these Psalmes in this Letter In the 145 Psalme it seemes as if the verse beginning from Nun were loft whence it is that this Psalme hath onely 21 verses In the first Chapter of the Lamentation made as I say 450 years or thereabouts after the Psalmes there are 22 Verses according to the number of the Letters Now to answer unto that great objection which out of all these Psalmes may be made I say here onely that in all the Dictionaris of this tongue already extant is to be seene a great part of the words with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 1.2 3. radicall to be written with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and those with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be written by the Iewes in their Rabbinicall books with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet these two names Shin and Sin to be all along this tongue except in Syriac And that the greatest part of those roots which have our Ebrew Calde and Syriac to be written with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of three points which expresly is cald Shin Yet some words with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have onely in Arabic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of no point which is an exception For that which hath the greatest weight makes by mee the rule and that which hath the fewest examples makes by me the exception I have also observed in some christian Manuscripts in Arabic written among the Muhammedans for our christians sake that they frequently write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 3 points in place of Ebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they do as I was told of them onely that the Turkes should not presently understand the christian books for fear of finding something written against their faith they might begin a persecution But I believe it to be rather out of ignorance of Orthography then such reason the Turcs knowing it before hand that Christians have other principles and that they do write something now and then in their bookes to retaine them Christians and avert them from the Turkish faith Summa even this letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not being esteemed to be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and anomalically with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 has made that great obstacle that learned men could not finde that unity of those six tongues And that what Wemmer sayes in his Etiopie Grammer that Saut and Saat be of the same sound both pronounced likes is false no tongue in the World lacking these two degrees of s and sh not Ebrew Samaritic Calde Syriac and Arabic why than Etiopic But so men do speake and write when they learne and teach
to this tongue then would they be constantly the same in Ebrew Samaritic Calde and Syriac Arabic and Etiopic I beseech the Reader to consider 1. that it is as old a fashion to have Bibles without pricks as with prics and in my apprehension older to yet here I do speake onely of a time of 1300 yeares or thereabout If we confesse Hierome to make mention now and then of points yet we see also that there is a great quantity of places otherwise rendred by him or at least the proper names otherwise read than now the prics will suffer And though Zoar that very old Rabbinicall book makes mention of the Names of the Vowells who will not confesse that those names might be very easily written by some other in some copy of Zoar which either by transcription or impression is now in the Text. Have we not thousands of such incroachings upon the Text in hunderts of Authors But if that were not so and that some of them were named doth it therefore follow that they have bin all at that time If the Grecians could be content with a e o for vowells as Plato sayes and the Arabians had nor have any more but these three from Platês time till this very day and if the Sirians could be content without vowells till they becomming Christians and translating many books out of Greec in their tongue did in proper names first afterwards also in other Nounes Verbs assume the Greec a e i o u and if the Persians Turcs Tatars great and little all Mogull and Malaye could be content from their very beginning till this day to bee without prics instead of Vowels what thinke you was there then a curse of God upon the Jewes and all the Prophets that they could nor would understand the writing of one another without so many superfluities Is a e i o u y enough for us in all occident to read by and is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enough to do the same when these do as well represent Consonants and Vowells as those do And what a malediction will you cast upon Gods Word that when many hundreds can understand and that without any hesitation at all thousands of other books without these prics they should not be able to understand Gods Booke without such a doe If that Word of God were written with all that infinity of pricking and stroaking every line and letter were it not the greatest injury that could be done to it to have it once printed without them How thinke yee would the Iewes once dare to offer such an unexpressable sacriledge Or by what meanes are the Jewes wiser then God himselfe who could not finde out an easy way for his Word to be read and fully understood till the Jewes found it out Why must onely the Jewes have 15 Vowells and 20 or 30 Accents but no characteristicall points betweene a Verbe and a Noun the second and the third person active and passive as the Syrians are said to have What a strange thing is it that the Sirians have never a sva never a dages forte as Emira and Ludoyic de Dien do rightly affirme that there should never be found any dages lene in Arabic but all dages forte and contrary no forte but all lene in Syriac In Etiopic and Samaritic nothing in Ebrew Bibles without poynts nor dages forte nor lene Nay in the Samaritic the whole Law without Vowells and any pricks or stroaks of Accents No Accents in Etiopic Arabic and Syriac no Accents in any other Ebrue booke nor in my Calde Manuscript being Questions and Answers upon the Law No Accents nor Vowells in the Arabic and Syriac old Testament given out in the King of France his Bible untill added by Gabriel Siouite as he publickly confesses And whence that infinity of anomalies in Vowells in Accents and what an absurdity is in all the Accents not one onely except What has atnakh the Duke to make a determination of 25 Verses otherwise to be done by Silluq the King when He stands in hundert of places as a boy and servant which nor the Text nor reason regardes What a boyes trick and childish punctation of atnakh is in the third word of the bible In the beginning created God Is it sense or nonsense And yet there must be the Duke Arnakh Truely I pitty all those great Man that are become boyes and children playing thus for the Vowels Accents and diacriticall Notes that they write whole books about fancies and childish stuffe given over unto reprobate minds and labour without the blessing of God Rule 2. The Pricks added unto Consonant Vowells instead of Vowells are various according to the fancy of the inventours in various Countries of the Orient In Ebrue Samaritic Calde Arabic and Eticpic are there naturally none because superfluous the same letters by them being the true Vowels a e t o u which are used by us in English look only to the table and observe their order Yet with all according to the traditions of Grammarians of several dialects here will we speak distinctly of every one of them separatly First in the Ebrue 1. The sounds a e i o u are naturally in every language and therefore in this primitive tongue by all meanes 2. Because the sound will bee heard more long when it stands at the end of a syllable as va ve vi vo vu sva sve svi svo svu and shorter when after that sound followes a Consonant vas ves vis vos vus therefore did some Jewes Masters of children or Grammarians for their Disciples sake invent a double sort of pricks for that double syllable which I call long and short as the Vowells are of late cald long and short otherwise cald great and little viz. for the long syllable qumez zeri hireq holem sureq For the short syllable fatah segol hireq qomez qubbutz 3. Those that have but one name as qametz or qomets and hireq have also but one shape which breeding a confusion doth shew us the sillinesse of these Grammarians God being able to make better worke in his primitise tongue that they were not able to invent two pricks more thereby to prevent all confusion which hetherto lies as a plague upon those who will learne this Ebrue with these pricks and not otherwise and being almost impossible to overcome casts them of from Gods tongue 4. The difference betweene the long and short hireq is not greatly needfull because both is an i. 1. If their follow immediatly the same or any other of these pricks which I named then is it qamez Why because the syllable is long Why long because the following Consonants having its proper prick WHICH WE FOR FASHION SAKE RATHER THAN WITH REASON CAL VOWELS or Vowell concludes a syllable if none of those but some others which are cald svâs then is it qomez Yet because there is great trouble with the accent which changes all this work
Authors thereof whence it is that if yee take the Calde in the Ebrue Bible you will finde more examples for anomaly than analogy And that all this madnesse of the sua simple and compound and the fatah gnuba are onely invented by the filly Jewish braines is also seene besides that inconstancy in all things which is their one and only lest constancy by the Syriac Arabic and Etiopic where they have neither single nor compound suâs lesse a fatah gnuba I confesse the Arabians have a gezme but that is onely in the place of sua quiescent where is here a sua movable So in Etiopic Iohn Potken and Wemmer will give us besides ba be bi bo bu à b with a short a and a short e yet that cannot argue that that short e is sua quiescent which hath no sound at all but if any thing rather a sua movable and the short a with a sua fatah But why is than that figure of the letter with that sua fatah in the meane while supposed singler than that with a single sua Therefore whatsoever that short e which Potken calls a short o may be by the Etiopians certaine I am that the short a is not the sua fatah nor have they any sua at all single or compound whole or gnuba By the Syrians to wit those that from Jewes became Christians after Chrisis Passion Resurrection and Ascension at the preaching of the Gospell by the Apostles who did retaine the vulgar custome of writing at Christs time that of the single letters being onely used as is probable in the Law of Moses with the rest of the Bible in joyning the letters had never any vowells or sua in their writing and that by these arguments 1 Because we finde no sua at all either single or compound movable or quiescent in their writing here the eye is witnesse 2. The Greec vowels are surely none of their owne and that is manifest 3. The Samaritans who did and do live in the same Country have no vowels at all 4. The Sirians leave many times a way the vowell which otherwise they write As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marci 9.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marci 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marci 7 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marci 7.30 which vowell in this forme of the Noune is never left away by the Arabians nor alwayes by the Syrians and the Jewish Calde constantly because that the first radicall must have no vowell but because the vowell of it is so generally knowne and certaine that if not written yet there will not remaine so much as the least doubt of it which the Grammarians of Calde and Syriac do not so much as understand and make a false forme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5 These poynts or pricks which they have above and below the Consonants are yet newer by them han the Greec vowels which is demonstrated by the greater variety thereof than of the Greec vowells in their writings Nor is there any Syriac Manuscript to be seene onely with those poynts instead of the Greec vowells contrarly wee have many of them which have neither the Greec vowels nor those pricks 6. Nor are the names of them the same with the Calde falsely supposed names of vowells except onely one ftoho which is fatah of the Ebrue and Arabic the rest e is called rboso the i Khboso the o sqofo the u asoso expressed in the following proper names Abrohom Esayo Ishoq Odom Adam Vriyo They have no long or short vowels nor the suâs Whereby we see that the whole Bible may be understood 1. Without all these five suâs Because Siriac Samaritic and Etiopic may bee understood without them 2. Without that difference of the long and short vowels Because Syriac Arabic and Etiopic may nor has Etiopic long or short-vowels but onely a e i o u the name of long being superfluous where there are none short 2. The Calde punctation is not precisely made after the rate of that distinction which was set upon the Ebrue Text and yet for all that may as well bee understood as the Ebrue Text. The Arabians have other prics for vowels different from the Ebrue Syriac and Etiopic And as the Gretians by Plate in Cratylo had only 3 vowels ◠v o for ω is a double o and as there are onely three quiescent letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a v y and as Ebrue hath onely three compound suâs so also hath Arabic only three vowels e v o or fatah kesra damma Fatah is a or e kesra i Damma o or u. The true pronunciation is in these Orientalls not to be had because Ebrue Samaritan Calde and Syriac are dialects which are passed and no more extant in the World in respect of 2000 yeares ago the tongue being one and as yet still remaining and Arabic with Etiopic have occupied all Africa and a fixth part of Asia and containes above a hundred different pronunciations insomuch that you can not well follow any pronunciation of those dialects and therefore if yee cannot learne the pronunciation used by them in their Country here in England you may pronounce them as yee will yet if yee will follow Erpenis his pronunciation yee must observe to pronounce fatab like a upon and sometime before the hard letters the names wherof I have given before and upon or before the easy letters e Damma upon and before the hard letters o and upon or before the easy letters u If Gab. Sionites then pronounce fatah constantly like a Kesra e and following the ye quiescent i Damma o and following vau quiescent u These three vowels they doe now and then pronounce as if there were an n but that is only at the end of a word As an on in the note wherof is that it hath that vowell doubled except onely that on hath the forme of 69 for 99 which they thinke to be neater written Fatha and Damma is written above the letter Kesra beneath Fatha and Kesra hath but one figure so that there are onely two figures of all the Arabic vowels By the Etiopians there is a great deale of difficulty to make certaine Rules for the vowells apart out of their printed bookes and the written Etiopic bookes are very rare in so much that I believe there are none in all England which is a shame for us Christians so to slight other Christians in such a manner as not to care for their learning and bookes And as Wemmer and Potken number the letters there are 202 by which way if wee go wee shall never easily learne to read Etiopic And yet as wee have the letters apart to also should wee have the pricks or stroaks apart whereby the vowels are pronounced Ordinarily it is as followeth 1. A is marked with the stroake of the letter toward the right hand more downward then ordinarily 2. E the round circle at the right hand below 3.
Fes Marocco and Algir sometime the f that which is above denoting by them the q. two above t at the end sometimes shaped as an h only by the contraction of writing q. which the Africane Arabians frequently and almost at all times do write above with onely one poynt two below y. Three above is descending from s one poynt comming unto those two naturalls of the t for difference sake sh and by the Turks and Persians the k pronounced as ng kitabung of the book 3. below by the Turks and Persians the b then pronounced as p g. then pronounced as tie and s for a difference from sh Yet are these three points frequently to be seene above s in Arabic books written at Jerusalem and elsewhere by the Christians in their Bibles and Service-books the reason whereof I have given above yet many hundred Manuscripts are to be seene even without these diacriticall and superfluous poynts for them that know perfectly this their mother or learned tongue STROACS 1. In Ebrew and Calde Meteg Fsiq and Maqqêf the two first are put downwards the third in the breadth meteg betweene any vowell and a following sua to keepe them asunder from being reade in one syllable A thing clearly superfluous partly in all our Eastern now yet living tongues where the boyes are able enough to learne the separation of syllables without such troubles partly in the Bible it selfe there being such a variety of it in all Prints that it is past beliefe it was invented so short insteed of a longer which should have begun above the letters and passed betweene them and the vowels underneath them because the inventors thought it more gentile as it is now whereas the other would have shewed more plainly their intention Fsiq such as meteg between two words to shew that you must rest there a little not by the force of sense but onely to observe the thing following the more accuratly Maqqef joynes two or three words together and is placed evidently at random no reason in the World being found why written or 〈◊〉 Therefore are these stroaks also in vaine superfluous and unnecessary 2. By the Syrians yee have but one viz. Maqqef cald Marhothno under neath a letter which they say shall not bee read or heard in the pronunciation as the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ana I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 akhrino another in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 akhroyo the last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 akhyono a brother in Law Kinsman Cousen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enoso Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 erozo a secrecy Yet this line is in many coppies frequently left out 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idto a Congregation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 khadto new 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yhab hee did give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r humayo a Roman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thobhu it is good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malkauhi his kings 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l in ezelet I went away ezalt shee went away 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yamme the Seas 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 santo a yeare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 zba to at a time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mdinto a City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 zbi to redeemed shfinto or Sfinto a ship Any word which is to be reade with a meditation its point is cald Mhagyono III. above the letters signifying the number This last is of the best use but Marhothno and Mhagyono are not worthy to be observed it being meere fancy that those letters should never be pronounced in that tongue it being certaine and I my selfe have many times heard it at Constantinople where there were many Kershuni for so are those cald that retaine the Syriac bookes in their religious service that they did most constantly pronounce every letter of those but onely when they were posting through then I confes for celerity sake they leave out many letters as even among us and what la France leaves out of letters those are pronounced in the Province and elsewhere therefore I beseech the Reader not to think these precepts to be absolutly true and needfull 3. By the Arabiens yee have medda wesl hamz gezm and Teshdid Medd they use over the letters signifying numbers as in all Astronomicall bookes is to be seene 2. Signifying the circle and lines by the Geometriciens described by letters 3. It stands in stead of the circumflex of the Greecs to pronounce that syllable with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quiescent more long Wesl onely upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quiescent in the beginning of à word joyning its word with the forging as if it were onely one line as Maqqef by the Ebrwes Hamz onely upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewing them to be radicall and naturally moveable they being sometime and that more frequently quiescent also Yet over or under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they do write it more frequently whither it be radicall or servile when the word is written with the vowels Yet in old coppies of the Alcoran and in printed bookes the hamza is in the latter case justly and most frequently left away Gezm is a round circle either whole or halfe and stands above that letter which is to bee joyned with the forgoing not so frequent upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the rest Teshdid is made of two Gesmes and is the dages by the Ebrewes onely one and yet representing all that was falsly esteemed proper unto two lene and forte Rule 5. The stroaks and pricks for the accents are not of the essence of this tongue and therefore onely in the Ebrue Bible and the Calde translation of Aquila or Onqelos on Moses As all the rest of things so truly these stroaks and pricks for accents are set to the Bible without necefity onely I wished that the vowels and suas had got no greater credit than the Accents have which by the most learned of Europe for almost 150 years were still left out as not cared for even by them that tooke upon them the translation of the Ebrue Bible Nor can or will I blame them as if they had mightily mistaken in the translation because of the ignorance of these Accents as if onely by their order the true connexion and disjunction of senses could be had Wherein wee see à more generall and naturall inclination in these that did strive so eagerly for the vowels and yet confesse the Accents to be of the same divine Authority not to care much for an additionall thing in this tongue the most of them never working so much in such an idle thing as Munsterus Claius Neander Buxtorfius but especially of late Mr. Symson a Scotch man Anno 1617. Mr. Bohlius deceased my condisciple under Mr. Trostius An. 1630. and Mr.
formes are either in Nounes or Verbs both are considered in the outward forme either as they stand a part without reference to the foregoing or following word in the Text or in reference to them this the Grammarians call Syntax supposing the pricks to be of the nature of this tongue as if by them onely the sense were cleare without them impossible to be had hence are all bookes full of such like Observations and Directions all which though in number they cannot amount to lesse then fifthy thousand yet are superfluous the pricks being only brought in by some Jewes the names wherof are uncertaine to them us and they are given by them onely to shew us what they thought to be now and then in a Syntax whereas we may see if we know the significations of the words and phrases the same thing without them and that they many times have mistaken and from their mistakes arise many examples for Anomaly so that the divers formes either in Nounes or Verbs in the Treasure of the Ebrue Grammer writte◠by that excellently leatned and painfull Grammarian Iohn Buxtorf are needlesse also two Chapters of his Syntax to wit the seventh and seventeenth are absolutely superfluous concerning the points or pricks which they call vowels Rule 9. Whatsoever Observations are or may be made upon the Bible Calde Targum Syric Arabic and Etiopic Authors onely in reference to their pricks are of no use The Jewes and Christian Authors have made upon the Bible an infinity of observations whereof that body of the Masoreticall notes is no small part of almost all which are to be rejected as of no use Hence also the very concordances of D. John Buxtorf are of no more authority and use if the eafinesse truth and nature of the tongue be onely the maine scope and drift of him than R Natans concordance who followeth without regard of prics the order of the Ebrue Text without points Rule 10. The Accents not being of the nature of this tongue are in Ftymology and Analogy of no use To Analogy or otherwise cald Etymology belongeth the greatest part of Doctor John Buxtorf his Observations in his Grammaticall Treasure about them by him set downe in Orthografy which fault is also frequent by others The substance of whatsoever can bee said of them concerning Analogy is that their place is to bee considered and that not onely in respect of the syllable either in the last of a word or one before the last but also in words onely of one syllable and there of the concurrence of two Accents Therefore more especially in reference to every Letter at what Letter of two three or foure in one syllable to wit that they do stand onely at a Letter with one of the prick vowels long or short not at the Letter with a single or compound sva And that every Accent may go to the following Letter Or come back to the forgoing Letter Or be wholy cast away Whereof maqqef is the signe nor the cause or understood to be absent in the first of two Nouns joynt together in relation of possession not of appellation or apposition And because the second radicall hath before others the vowel therefore the Accents doe stand more regularly and frequently at the second radicall From whence it doth remove to the first radicall if the first radicall onely have the vowel As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yoma day the first radicll y hath the Accent because the second radical vau is quiescent and hath no vowel nor hath the third radicall m any vowel therefore onely the first having the vowel o yo hath the Accent so also in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Khet Nerd Qost Or if the third radicall be cast away As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Váicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vaizav 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vattqas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vayyitgal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vattitcas the accent in these is at the first radicall k z q g and many and many hundred such like Or where the third radicall hath no vowel and the second a short vowel whereby the two last radicals make up a short syllable As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sefer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 melek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 erez or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arez To the third radicall if it doth receive a vowel As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sfarim by r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malka by k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arazot by z. To the serviie Praefix when the third being cast away the first and second doth make a short syllable as for instance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vayyáan by y the Roote being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the service suffix if it doe make a short syllable with the following servile e. g. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fqadtem by t the Roote being fqd. And yet all these foregoing Rules are so many times violated or not observed by the Authors of them that you will finde many sorts of Anomalicall places of them where they are at the right syllable yet not at the right Letter or at the false syllable before or after the right Letter and Syllable whereof I have set downe some Observations in my Notes on P. Martinius Ebru Grammar Englished Printed at Amsterdam twice both Anno 1645. and 1646. Item in my Latine Deline ation of the Ebrue Grammar Printed at Amsterdam in 4º 1646. page 80. Rule 11. The accents are supposed to joyne and disjoyne words for the making up a true and right sense Before I have fully done about these accents there is as yet one use of them remaining to be handled which is assigned unto them by all the Grammarians that have written hitherto to wit that they have the power of a Syntacticall combination of words and disjunctions of them that is to shew which words are to be joyned together to make up a plaine sense such as is intended by the Holy Ghost in every place in every verse of the Bible whereon also for the most part depends distinction of verses which according to the best observation of mine and others upon such a supposall notwithstanding I am not of the mind that it is truely in them So that I doe disclaime here what formerly I have preceptically set down either in my English or Latine Books concerning it yet if some men will stand to it be it right or wrong I will shortly repeale it here is as followeth 1. That they are the accidentall signe of a Conjunction or disjunction of words 2 That they signifie first a greater or fuller point secondly a lesser point thirdly two little points fourthly a little point with a Comma fiftly the stroke Comma sixtly yet they never shew where there is an exclamation or interogation neither which words together belong to a comma comma with a point two little points the lesse and the greater or full point 3. All this in a naturall order where a sence is full either of one word or of two joynd or of three whereof the two first or last be more neerely joyned yet in respect to the third or fourth words where also the two or three former or latter more neerely to be joyned with relation to the body of fewer or of many more with none greater or greater distinction now by reason these five degrees of distinctions which are in all manner of speech in any tongue whatsoever used here in the occident and the North though not in the whole Orient 4 The accents are of five degrees thus call d by the Grammarians 1 One King Silluq 2 Dukes Atnah and compound merca 3 Earles zaqef sgolta and tifha 4 Lords salselet rbia single or compound with a silluq sasta zarqa tbir a double merca ytib five Knights fazr qarnefarah t lisa geres 5 These make up whole senses according to those five degrees of senses 6 The rest are called servants because they onely joyne words two three or foure to bring them to the following Knight Lord Earle Duke or King to make up the full sense 7 Every one of these according to his degree makes a greater or lesser joynr and hath before him first a great distinguisher secondly a lesser but Knights have none of both before them thirdly a joyner each with his servants of a greater or lesser distinguisher before him finally followes the fourth the King 8 Yet whereas in the whole Bible there is almost one and the same order observed three bookes viz. Job the Proverbs and the Psalmes have no Earles and doe differ in some small matter besides as to the following fiame 9 They are generally in the Bible thus 4. Kingssilluc 3 joyner merca 2 the lesser distinguisher tifha 1 the greater distinguisher zaqef 4. Duke Atnah 3 munah 2 tifqa 1 zahef or sgolta 4. Earle either the higher zaqef sgolta or the lower tifqa 3 munah or merca 2 fasta zarca tbir 1 Rbia. 4. Lord either the higher salselet rbia or the lower fastha zarca tbir mercayim ytib 3 munah mahfac merca darga 2 fsic geres 1 tlisa fazr 4. Knight Fazr qarnefara tlisa geres 3 munch yerah qadma tlisa merca 2 and 1 none 10 But in the said three Bookes there is such an order as is in some sort differing 3. King silluc 2 munah merca 1 rbia compound with zaqef or salselet 3. Duke Higher compound merca 2 yrah zarqa 1 rbia 3. Duke Lower atnah 2 munah merca tifha 1 rbia 3 Lord Higher rbia fingle or compound salselet 2 merca mahfac munah 1 none 3 Lord Lower zarca 2 merca munah 1 fazr or the lower tifha 2 munah 1 fazr 3. Knights Fazr 2 Yerah 1 none This is that faigned commonwealth which was set up by the Jewes which for the matter I esteeme to be against the fundamentall lawes of that tongue and for the manner this palpable vast difference is not onely in three bookes by which notwitstanding wee may perceive one and the same spirit did not frame and order all but there are above ten thousand examples where neither in the generall nor in this particular agreement is kept so that I utterly disclaime it from being either naturall morall politicall or juris divini And so I conclude the Etymology or Analogy FINIS
hath penned and sent into your bosome you are not worthy to look on any book else although I would have shewed you onely in England about two thousand None is honoured by learning them True because none did truely understand them No people studied them Yet all nations do The Vniversities drive more the Arts than these Tongues Because they were taught to be many and learned men would rather dispute than become schollars againe and againe Yet all this spoken in an opposite way is easily done and said but not easily believed because the old principles are so deeply rooted in mens hearts therefore is it fit to go on a litle more plainely in the declaration of their nature then in railing and wrangling about them Wherefore I will choose to speake first of their Antiquitie secondly of their rare vertues thirdly of their largenesse fourthly of their use fiftly of their unity sixthly and lastly of their easines And all this without much premeditation but onely as few dayes labour of using the pen will afford their being many reasons in the way why I could not spend great labour or much time about this businesse at this instant And first the Antiquity of them is granted by all to be before any of the European Tongues whatsoever But the Greeke Tongue which spread so sarre in Europe that out of Greece it took root in Spaine France Italie and in Affrica in all the mediterranean Seashore and almost into Persia it selfe by Alexander the Great not that it was the onely tongue spoken in Asia Africa and Europe all other Tongues being lost but that it came in for its smoothnesse by the victoriousnesse of that people and the activity of their Kings and great traffick of their most renouned Merchants and sea-men this Greeke Tongue onely might challenge a great Antiquity and be competitor with Calde Syriac Samaritan and Arabic if not with Ethiopic whereof we are like to know almost nothing with Ebrew no man dare bring it into competition for antiquity but if diversity of names make no distinct matter and if the essence be not divers because it has many accidents and if the substance of any thing be remaining the same in number although you add never so many outward pictures and titles glosses and inscriptions and if the thing it selfe be not changed in changing the outside onely and if a man remaine the very same although he should be so foolish as to change his habit every day and never weare the same cloaths two dayes together than let us not despaire if we can make it appeare that Ebrew Calde Samaritan Syriac Arabic and Etiopic are but one and the same language as we shall in the fifth part but that the argument used for the antiquity of Ebrew will shew the very same antiquity to be in all the said Tongues because they being all one began at one instant together with Adam given unto him by God Almighty to talke with his Creator and afterward with his bedfellow not with the Divel as she did Besides wee know there was a great distance between the Caldean Empire the Syrian Gods the Arabian Rovery and the Grecian setlement and well grounded assurance or full large extent either of the tongue or government we know further that the whole Greeke Tongue no dialect excepted as big as it now is comes by good naturall pedegree from the Ebrew Calde Samaritan Syriac Arabic and I dare say as much out of Ethiopic I say not only from Ebrew and though a great quantity of Greek be already derived by divers Authors only from the Ebrew Bible words so that if I am not mistaken there are above sixe thousand Greeke words clearely derived by divers learned Authors from thence as a son descending from his parents yet if the very same root and stock be in the Calde Samaritan Syriac Arabie and Ethiopic Tongue who can deny or will not easily grant that all these six thousand Greeke words already derived out of Ebrew are at the same instant derived out of Calde c. And than besides if many thousand words extant in Greek can either by me or many hundred men be further derived from these Ebrew words extant in the Bible wil not all this declare more and more a great antiquity not onely of Ebrew I say but also of Calde Samaritan Syriac Arabic and Ethiopic before the Greeke Tongue it being a most reasonable principle that if the parents beget never so many children in divers Countryes let these children have never so many and various names yet they wil never be elder than their parents Further as it would be a sinple assertion that whatsoever word is not extant in the English Bible is not English even so and no lesse ridiculous doe almost all the learned men hetherto speake when they say that whatsoever word they finde not in the Ebrew Bibel is not any more Ebrew and therefore then it must be called Calde if they finde it in the Calde Jewish translation upon the old Testament or Syriac if in a Syrian Authour or Arabic by an Arabian and Ethiopic by an Ethiopian or Samaritic in the Samaritan character of the Ebrew five Bookes of Meses in some passages differing from the Ebrew Bibles extant or in their Paraphrase upon the text This as it is unsound and a sport of dark mindes led out of the way by neglects of their owne learning so shall it be declared in the fifth point And therefore as we grant that there are some words sound in Calde Syriac and Arabic books which are not in the Ebrew Bible and besides as we know that even of them also a great quantity of Greek words are derived by some and yet many hundred more will heareafter be derived all this doth shew that the Greeke tongue can not come into competition for antiquity either with Ebrew Calde Syriac Arabic or Ethiopic Neither is that dreame as if the Greeke tongue had bin hatched at the same instant with Calde Samaritan Syriac Arabic and Ethiopic conceaved to be so many divers Tongues at the confusion of Babel that dreame I say is not with any reason but onely a blinde talke upon suppositions First Of a confusion of Tongues in the plurall where the Scripture clearly speaks onely of one tongue of one pronuntiation which tongue was confounded I grant it but as the Scripture saith not unto many tongues for so it saith not but many pronunciations of the very selfe same tongue and so much it sayes and that is true Which was enough to dispersethese builders when they could not understand one the others pronunciation although they spake the same language As forinstance notwithstanding English Scotish Danish Swedish Norwagish Greenlandish Low Dutch and the High German tongue is but one tongue all in all with many yet small accidentall differences these said nations cannot understand one another at an instant and new unexpected meeting I say not of the nearest but most remoted nations
componere parva if we may take an example of that wise King as I think I may in place where all others speake of many tongues I say it is but one and therefore the antiquity of Calde Samaritan Syriac Arabic and Ethiopic is not the antiquity of many but onely of one and the selfe same Ebrew tougue So than that we may come to the conclusion of the first point I affirme and am able to make it good against all opposers that Ebrew Calde Samaritan Syriac Arabic Ethiopic were from the very beginning of Adams creation and do remaine yet with us in the world they were before and after the confusion of Babell and are therefore the Mother tongue of all tongues in the world The second point is the rare vertues of these Orientall Tongues viz. Ebrew Calde Samaritan Syriac Arabic and Ethiopic whereby they are far more noble then Greeke Latine or any of the esteemed learned tongues And here I confesse I see before me such a vastnesse of an excellent plaine where my horse could runne not only a most gallant course but even out of breath yet not to hazard so much because I must use that my loving creature many times more and with more advantage hereafter than yet I conceive to be at this race I will at this time not so much as permit it to a Gallop but keepe it in a smooth and painles pace being assured of its willingnes upon any other presented occasion That most naturall simplenesse or singlenesse in the comportements of this grave Lady doth keep me still in a wilfull obedience and a silent admiration nay adoration of that divinity You will sinde here a Divinity in pedegree a comelinesse in attire a constancy in their nature and fashions a gravity in few speeches a due observation of sensefull ordrings of words a brevity in their contractions an hatted of confusion of the same a providence in placing them no superfluity in servants a certaine office ordered unto every one of them even accounted superfluous by men ignorant in their affaires have their charge of a good turne Their constant number of roots the easy order to finde them out planted all as in an Orchard by square that wheresoever you send your eyes you behold the same distance of each other Every tree of them of a divers savor and gracious taste with a delightfull smell The branches of these trees ordered yeelding hundreds of fruits to wit words all of the same taste and smell yet with some diversity So that Ebrew Calde Samaritan Syriac Arabic and Ethiopic according to many Authours and Books yet extant have as large an extent as the Greek of Latine Tongue For being a full tongue as well as Latine or Greek it must needs follow that all the Ebrew Language must represent the whole Latine and Greek the Calde or Samaritan all the same Syriac Arabic and Ethiopic the same Neither doth it contradict me and my tenents that the Bible doth not containe the whole Ebrew tongue therefore this tongue doth not comprehend the whole Latine tongue For I never said that this tongue as it is extant onely in the Ebrew Bible doth containe all the Latine tongue even because there is not the whole Ebrew language in the Ebrew Bible but is partly yet in Caldean c. Authours The whole Orientall tongue doth include the whole Occidentall be it Greek Latine German English Spanish French Italien or whatsoever And there is wonder enough in it I dare say that those words which are in the Ebrew Bible do containe most part of the GGreek or Latine tongue that is the greatest part of the Latine or Greek tongue is expressable by such words as are in the Ebrew Bible be they never so few in comparison of that great voluminous vastity of Latine or English it selfe If we do admire the nature of this tongue we may justly exclaime even in behalfe of it as the Apostle in a higher straine concerning the nature of men under unbelief and confusion and the capacity of Gods mercyes upon all O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out For God is as well the cause of this his holy tongue which he was pleased first to bestow upon mankind as He was the Creatour of the first Adam and in him of all mankind Yet as there was another state in Adam even after his fall more livelinesse lesse dulnesse more simplenesse and finglenesse of hearts lesse troubles of the affaires of the world neerer with God because lesse objects from God more cleare sighted even in naturall things because using more his reason diligency and industrie on them and more blessed in his undertakings because with a more single heart so that in many hundreds of things Adam was even after the fall yet so much more perfect than we No lesse it was with this tongue partly before the confusion of Babel as in the state of innocency Few and full words Which fulnesse is wonderous in all mens eyes and yet not searched from whence Therefore If I shall not doe a misse I shall rather give a hint at that well and fountaine to lead you unto it than at this time to bring you many cups full of that wholesome living water flowing nay springing from thence It is undeniable that a thing is but one in essence and yet has divers accidents more or lesse so the word signifying a thing and but one thing also which words we call the roote those words those roots do onely signifie that one tree And every tree though never so many if they are of the same stock will have all the same taste whereby it comes to passe that 20.50.100 words in Ebrew c. descending from the same roote and tree do yeeld naturally alike taste or signification and yet they are individuals and divers in number The taste then is one and the same the radicall signification is but one not 2 3 4 6. or more as hitherto all the Dictionary Writers have falsly asserted even against nature it selfe yeelding unto one and the same roote or tree many and divers tasts Which assertion holds yet because they are all but ill gardiners onely considering the outward shape of the fruits and therefore the taste being a little different they presently conclude against the nature of all trees that one and the same roote or tree can have divers tastes or significations When otherwise if they would but search and conferre the taste of this with the taste of the other fruit they would finde a sweet analogie between them viz. that there is but one taste in every tree and so define that taste or signification But by what meanes doth the same taste seeme to be divers and so dazle the eyes of learned men and withdraw their judgement I answer because they think not 1. That tongues are onely proper to men and not beasts 2. That men
Ethic Politic Oeconomic so Poesie and all other Arts whatsoever are honored beautified nobilitated and highly advanced by the Christian faith more than ever before in the heathenish Philosophers times who did imbrace them more for curiosity then Religion sake but we Christians esteeme them because they willingly give all their assistance and offer up their service to the Bible and Divinity But further if we would speak of these artes in reference unto othermen viz. the greatest part of those in Asia and Affrica I avow that a more worthy work cannot be undertaken by a Generous Nation as England I have experience of to bee than that the Learned men thereof should not only sit still at home referring all things only to themselves and studies but also joyne with Heathens Christians and Jewes to learne from them teach them love them and to be beloved of them to meet them invite and doe them good not only with temporall but also which they would accept of with more thankfull humble devout earnest minds with Spirituall refreshments Are you the worse for having your Sermons frequented by thousands more then formerly or the Exchange with thousands of Merchants more then your selves every one of them encreasing the common-wealth and riches of the City or for having store of spirituall intellectuall and corporeall goods wherewith to refresh all Asia and Affrica by your writings and instructions in their owne tongue but I must leave this to me at least pleasant music and come to the fifth point to shew that these six languages viz. Ebrew Calde Syriac Samaritic Ethiopic and Arabic are BUT ONE Truly I would never have touched that point either in this my English Essay or in any of my latine books and writings because I know it is displeasing to some who would not willingly heare the truth or the nature and secrecy of this tongue discovered or cannot believe it to be so or if they doe will not confesse it but would keep the people still in ignorance admiration of unspeakable high matters whereunto no body is able to attaine but themselves nay they thinke that I undervalue the Holy tongue feigning as if I spake of it in a contemptible way because of this unity as if God were therefore to be contemned because BUT ONE and that I loose my owne reputation of Learning by writing and speaking of it in that way of commendation Some others are apt to thinke and say that this sort of commendation doth only arise out of some philosophicall notions about unity and diverfity which are also very usefull and necessary following therein Plato's wayes of discoursing of things rather in high and witty fancies than in plaine and samiliar way tending to and advancing the easines and utility of the matter under hand but only that the truth must bee said and written much profit arising from a true notion of things whole Kingdomes being willing to engage in a worke according to their notions be they good or bad wherefore I thought it reasonable to say something in behalfe of this holy primitive tongue when so many hundred wits lye and sleep out of a false conceit that it is impossible to overcome these Orientall tongues because there is no end of studying them and never almost any seene to get out with credit and honour Many thousand wits otherwise imployed that might easily be brought to any tongue if they were well informed of the subject Many thousand study not at all that would be glad to have some good subject presented them In respect of all these in love towards the rongue I tender to all the English wits of whatsoever profession honour title degree and state this sort of learning only with this condition that they truly love God whom they see not feare and tremble at his power and greatnesse yet withall faithfully embrace his mercy kindnesse and goodnesse and rejoyce in the flourishing condition of their own Kingdome for if they cannot doe this I have done with them and desire not to engage farther with them Upon this point viz. that all those hitherto though falsly esteemed divers tongues are but ONE I did partly before build the usefullnesse and shall hereafter also set downe the easinesse of them when I have fully demonstrated that unity which I now speake of Vnity then is a flower of essence never of accidents for they cannot have that prerogative to become one whereas let essence be presented with all the various accoutrements that the wit of man can invent it cannot be changed but will alwayes remain one and the same Now therefore when we speake of the unity of these tongues viz. that these six tongues in my opinion are only one and not divers it must be understood of their essence not accidents Ignorant people may thinke that languages have neither essence nor accidents but the learned and such I speake unto at this time though in some measure to others also know that not only created matters but also tongues may be considered both in their essence and accidents And as essence is one so hath it essentiall proprieties viz. Vnity Truth and Goodnesse besides divers others all which are so united with essence or the essentiall being of things metaphysically considered that if they are one and the same it followes necessarily that whatsoever is good and true in one continues still to be the same under whatsoever climate name shape or plantation it be found Then if Ebrew be good holy and primitive and Caldaic Syriac Samaritic Ethiopic and Arabic call them by as many names as you please be the same primitive tongue then if you deny whether with or without reason any one of them the name of primitive you may as well deny it to Ebrew it selfe the denying of one being the denying of the other Now then I will lay downe the foundation of this unity Ebrew Calde Syriac Samaritic Arabic and Ethiopic is one tongue because it hath but one matter and forme whereof it consists and whereby it differs from all other tongues whatsoever none of them having the said properties The matter of these viz. Ebrew Calde c. is 22. sundry letters reduceable unto 20. used generally by these people in all ages from David the King and Prophets dayes untill us Nay further seeing that David used the very same words which Moses the holy penman of the five Bookes of the Law and story of the patriarchs before the law both before and after the deluge retayning the same nature that was observed by Ezra the Scribe I thinke we have a good ground from reason to say that Adam himselfe did use the same tongue But because the antiquity of the Ebrew Alphabet even from Adams dayes is already sufficiently demonstrated against any cavills I shall goe on to shew my unity T is true that there is some diversity in the Arabic Syriac and Ethiopic Alphabet though not arising from the tongue it selfe but only that the Ethiopians and
in his young yeares being well Grammatically instructed in his own mother tongue will more easily and in a shorter time learne all these mentioned tongues and with farre greater delight than the Latine at Schoole Sixthly another easinesse arises from the near place towards us For in Spaine this holy primitive tongue has been neare 800. yeares as there is good reason it should having beene alwayes in the possession of the Moores and long before them of the Carthaginians untill their late expulsion from thence and yet in the steepy mountaines of Granata named Al Fukhar Râs the Progeny of the Mores doe still retaine the Arabic tongue for the Spaniards themselves call it Araviga There are divers Authors that shew the passages of Cities Provinces Rivers and Castles in Spaine to be named invested occupied built and repaired by the Phoenicians and their children the Carthaginians Abydenus quoted by Eusebius Aelianus by Eustathius M. Agrippa by Plinius Appianus Arrianus Artemidorus by Stephanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Avienus Eusebius Eulogius Eustathius Homerus sings thereof Isidorus Hispalensis who should be acquainted with things concerning his own Countrey Livius Megasthenes by Strabo Mela Pausanius Plinius Polibius Posidonius by Strabo Ptolomoeus Scylax Seneca Cordubensis where the Arabic Kings of Spain had their Court Silius Statius Stephanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stesichorus by Strabo Strabo the principallest of them all Trogus and divers others All the Antiquities are full of words and names of things in Spaine given by the Orientall tongues and people And at this day whole Spaine is full of their Manuscripts there being above TEN THOUSAND in severall of their Libraries especially that famous Kingly one at St Laurence in the Escuriall And in Minshewes Dictionary you may see many thousand Arabic words yet in use in Spaine at the end of his book So neare hath God brought towards us in the West and North this Holy and Primitive tongue Nay within lesse than ten dayes sailing you may be in Africa where this tongue is naturall Truly I say if the English Nation would but once fall diligently upon true Divinity and not trust so much unto their translations and which may be within a yeare for ought I know perceive that Ebrew is Arabic which being yet living and in use is easie to be searnt and being obtained will give a more cleare and true interpretation of the Ebrew Bible and that with greater ease too than all the Rabbins I doubt not but they would hereafter change their course of studying in dead bookes unto that of living persons in Asia and Africa as Nicolaus Clenardus did begin Mr. Pocoke and Mr. Graves those worthy men have followed Mr. Golius who had been there and I my selfe had that happinesse to live there together with Mr. Pocoke for some months and thus bring Divinity to a better ground and fix their interpretations upon the Ebrew Mount Zihon Now wheresoever you will goe either in Africa neare at hand or in Asia towards Ioppe Sidon Barut towards Cyprus Alexandria or Alexandretta the Sea Towne towards Haleppo or to Smyrna or Constantinople it selfe the passage is very easie for I my selfe came in a fortnight from Marseil to Constantinople The Ship Sampson whereof is Captaine Mr. Swanley that worthy and valiant Gentleman that brought the Ambassadours there and here warts in going hence to Smyrna perform'd the voyage in 30. dayes Anno 1641. brought me back again with my Orientall library of above 300 manuscripts in 17 weeks Thus you see God will send us thither more speedily than bring us back againe Nay that worthy and reverend friend of mine Mr. Pocoke has been twice and a good long while in that Country wherby he hath so inriched the coffers of his understanding with that great and manifold knowledge of this orientiall tongue that hee has none but that excellent and thrice learned Mr. Selden Esquire equall with him I honour heartily both these my worthy friends and notwithstanding that I shall not be able to amount to the hight of that quicknesse largenesse fulnesse perfection and acuratnesse of learning of these two great shining lights the present Sun and Moone of our England it is a great happinesse for mee to have that proportion which the starres of the fixt magnitude have towards them yet I wish nay hope that our posterity may and will outbrave all even the best lights This nearnesse is an unobservable occasion for the Christians to do good to all the Muhammedans or Mahumedans as usually they are called here But a sleeping Cat never sees a Mouse running by her clawes Fronte capillata est post est occasio calva There is yet a small remnant of the day to labour by the night of all the World drawes on and like a theife in the night on sleepers Wee sleepe after wee have stolen Gods good time of the day and by the day we steale What will become of us Hang him is every other word here in England God grant that wee be not the judges of our selves and posterity Is there never a man that begins to looke about and to see what he wee and all this Kingdome do we confesse out sinnes to sinne the more stubborn and constantly Thinke we not once that all our toyle running actions shists prayers orders and fasts are but meare hypocrisie I because I am a man as well as they confesse that I have not neede to pry long into my heart to finde my faults and hypocrisie and thereby am I sure they that is every one of whatsoever condition may see his hypocrisie in the performance of Gods worship without great adoe only in the will lies all our woe The Spirit which we call our conscience doth every day and houre speake within us and wo unto him whereunto it speakes no more and call us to the Worke of God for all this World is but like a dreame full of discontents where even Kings themselves have the greatest sorrowes to give peace and glory But because we despise Gods word and tongue God despises us Seventhly the easines of this tongue consists likewise in the largenes of those Countries wherein it is extant The greater a Kingdome is if the King be wise and pious and will let God have a hand in his commands the easier will he withstand his enemies abroad The greatest enemy that the Church of God meets with is our ignorance whereby wee are afraid to deale with a Papist a Iew a Muhammedan or a Heathen When with a formality of prayer we could do enough in the sight of our consciences then were wee good Christians But conscience conscience conscience that doth gnaw your heart within and cryes you are but very hypocrits What Asia will not afford that Africa will and what Africa cannot Asia can I confelse there are many different pronunciations but never a Dialect or Idiome in Africa but it will helpe most comfortably against the darknesse and ignorance of this tongue with us But
we are blind and cannot see the cleere Sun-beames Let there be a hundred divers pronunciations which common people presently call tongues in Africa yet I know there is but one tongue For it is in Africa as in Europe and Asia One cryes a diversity of tongues they cannot understand one another another gives them a divers name the third derives them from a very unknown antiquity the fourth from the confusion of Babell My way is contrary The tongues of Africa are brought in by Kham his sons and nephewes and the tongues of Europe by Yafet which they foolishly cal'd Jupiter and his sonnes and sonnes sonnes Only in Europe is the Greek immediately from this Orientall tongue which Greek is the same with Latine If nothing else could perswade you 10000 Latine words at least already derived by divers Authours from thence will suffice to do Now from this Latine some affirme Italian Spanish and French to descend others deny it If you looke upon two narrow a time and space of that tougue viz. Latine as onely in that part of Italy where Rome is seated called now Lo stato Ecclesiastico and at the time of the Counsuls of Rome than you must not bring all these tongues from thence because all these Countries had tongues before the said time but if you can rationally judge that tongues breed not out of the earth nor raigne down from Heaven and are propagated onely by mankinde amongst themselves than reflecting back that all these men came from Yafet all these I say in Germany Italy France Spaine Poland c. their tongues are without all doubt derived from thence So that as Italy had a tongue at Aeneas comming thither from Troja and they were descending from the Grecians and the Grecians out of Asia whereof Troja is a Towne then brought Aeneas the same tongue with him out of that same Fountaine from whence Evander and all the Grecians before had fetcht theirs So before Aeneas came people lived already in France Spaine Germany they were children of the Graecians had their tongue which grew different in Italy so much more in France Germany Spaine and Poland c. And so farre you may deny them to descend from the Latine There is also further easinesse viz. by way of teaching First to teach the whole Ebrew Bible every part and Word thereof affording some good ground for Exhortation Doctrine and Learning so that I cannot commend the ordinary way of teaching onely one booke of it notwithstanding it hath beene the constant practice hitherto some teaching Genesis others the Psalmes or the bookes of Samuel Hoseas or some of the major or minor Prophets and this under pretence that these bookes containe in them a great part of the Ebrew Bible never going through it all For by that meanes the learner is left to shift for himselfe before hee be able whereby hee conceaves a greater difficulty to bee in it then indeed there is and so gives it over not onely himselfe but likewise either by example or perswasion deterrs others from undertaking it I would likewise have you to teach the Caldean Targum of the three Authors Ionathan Onkelos and Ioseph the blinde together with the Syriac and Arabic published at Rome but hence it may be objected that the Galdean Targum is not extant by it selfe but onely in those bibles in folio published by the Venetians Buxtorph both the Kings of Spaine and France To this I answer that it is true but if this course were taken that I prescribe and that there were professors established by authority that would teach them in English and that every day throughout the yeare I doubt not but that the Citizens would most gladly bee auditors and buy the books which the Booke sellers would most willingly get printed so soone as they shall perceive a certaine gain to come in by the plentifull vending of them Farther I wish my Orientall Professor vvould first teach my Generall Grammer with the essentiall part of it viz. consonants in Orthography and Analogy or Etymology secondly teach the whole Ebrew bible vvithout points exercising his Schollers to depend onely upon the consonants they giving the full sence and upon all occasions to tell them that the pronunciation is not materiall to the words or sence and that all tongues differ amongst themselves in point of pronunciation still increasing by every mile though not observed even as the Sun proceeding every moment upon the diall is not perceived till it hath past some certaine time so here the difference of the pronunciation will not so well be observed in few miles as in 50 or 100 or more Yet if the professor do meete with such as will have the vowells and accents which indeed is but a burthen without profit unto them I advize him to ingraft into their mindes that Orthographicall ground worke which the Iewes did esteeme needfull to have viz. in Ebrew and Calde 15 Vowels when five as by the Syrians would have served but in Analogy or Etymology to shew diligently their mutation long into short and short into long permutation long for short and short for long and contraction or abjection of any of them long or short And because hee cannot shew that perfectly before he have set downe what Vowells there were in this or that place all the Grammarians having left that out he may take a delineation thereof from my Latine delineation page 73. 74. tit Anal. Specialis And likewise I advise him to go a different way from that commonly used for Ebrew with such disciples because they will expect a Grammaticall Analisis of the words viz. take Buxtorfs Ebrew Dictionary Printed here at London and resolve all his examples by these Grammer precepts that I have given and thereby hee will doe his Schollers more profit then with the greatest booke in the bible because in none of them doe occurre all the Radixes extant in the Dixionary for there is observed not onely the Alphabeticall order of the rootes but also that most necessary Grammaticall order of the Tenses persons and orders though not in the same order that is in my Grammer the order herein doing neither good nor hurt Or if yet a shorter way must be had then take Tossanus little Dictionary upon the Psalmes and do therewith as before and for the Calde take Buxtorfs Concordance where at the end hee hath set downe all the Calde words occurrent in the bible Where you will finde the essentiall parts viz. of Consonantes to be according to Grammaticall precepts and for the Vowells you will finde the distinctions of long and short to be forgotten by those late Iewish punctators For the Syriac go the same way in Crinesius or Trostius Dictionaries upon the New Testament In Arabic the Grammaticall Analiticall way is farre more easy and as yet there is not any Dictionary extant thereof either upon the Bible or Alcoran but upon the latter I expect one speedily This fundament being once well layed
vowels it comes to passe that the roots do interchange in like manner the effect being of the same nature with the caâ—fe Rule 17. Some teeth letters easily become tongue letters yet retayning their owne nature different from that of those tong letters The reason is because these two instruments doe frequently and most constantly concurre unto the pronunciation of their ten letters wherof five are more especiall teeth and thother five more especiall tongue letters Zayin is many times changed into d sade into thet sin into t yet they doe retaine their nature so that these d th and t arising from zayin sade and sin must bee distinguished from these letters d th and t when they are naturall and of their one stock Rule 18. Such roots as have the 2 and 3 radicall one and the same do frequently double the first and put it between the 2 and 3. The reason of this transposition as is conceived is for Euphony sake as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and many other the like Rule 18. Some roots take in certaine epenthetick letters whereby they seeme not to bee any more of three radicall Letters onely but of foure five or sixe As for instance 1. The letter R the root is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sebeth a Scepter which is sound with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sarbith whence is the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence is that falsly esteemed persian word parasange or miles c. 2. the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the root is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g m d which we find thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 3. N. the root is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 súr but doth assume n as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bassanvertm in Gen 19.11 2 Reg. 6.18 4. M. the root is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but assumes m as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Cant. 2.13.15.5 The three quiescents are frequently in erted after the second or third radicall as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Arabic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with divers others Rule 20. Some roots seeme to be of more than three letters whereas the fault is in the letters As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen 2.12 Num. 11.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ier. 44.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insteed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 41.45 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insteed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen 2.14 Rule 21. Some roots seeming to have more letters than three are easily by many wayes reduced to that number As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a band n in l by the Latines balteus nine times 〈◊〉 in the Ebrue Bible hath the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insteed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 band by the Arabians a rope cable cord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a flame thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Rule 22. Some words are compounded of two or three roots together As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compounded from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teeth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Elefant 1 Reg. 10.22 2 Chr. 9.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 3.5 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so in all other dialects An observation for Etymology ALl these rules will be a great deal clearer made out by the insuing dixionary And therefore I beseech the courteous and gentle Reader not to judge upon halfe done worke For the chiefest reason why we cannot see that more perfect unity and identitie which is given us by Metafisick of these dialects and that they are no otherwise divers tongues than Eolic Attic Doric Jonic are divers from the Greec is because neither the Grammar nor the Dictionary were ever made to joyne them except in the Grammar of Lud. de Dieu Anno 1626. Mr. Gerhard the yeare past In the Dictionaries only that excellently learned Schindler in his Pentagloâ—tâ—n given out after his death 1612 made up long before the smatterings in that kinde of Rapheleng in his Arabic Dictionary Anno 1613. and of Calasius in his Ebrue concordance 1621 And I doubt not that when hereafter many excellent wits doe fall upon such generall Grammars and Dixionaris or Lexicâs they will make a great deale bette worke than ever hetherto is dreamed of The said Mr. Gerhard is now about such a Dictionary And I hope that besides him I shall give some further light and perhaps open a doore where no body did expect one beseeching onely in the meane time my Reader to helpe and assist me with whatsoever hee is able assuring him he shall finde me a thankfull man Analogy or the second part of Etymology Rule 1. From each of these 8000 roots may bee derived all sorts of words of whatsoever part of speech BEcause that every speech may bee the better understood and considered the art of Grammar doth divide all speeches into certaine parts in some tongues more in some lesse according to the greater or lesse variety of the terminations in every tongue For the lesse variety of the terminations of words there is in a tongue the fewer parts of speech in that tongue and the greater variety the more That tongue which hath the fewest parts of speech is the most perfect and that which hath the most lesse perfect The parts of speech in this primitive tongue is by all set downe and made too many there being onely two viz. a Noune and Verbe the greatest part of them have also made particles as the third part Other 8 parts some but very unreasonably have made nine and that ninth only for one letter sake as if it were to bee conceaved that one letter could make a ninth part of speech for then there would bee ninteen eight ordinary and eleven extraordinary for those several Letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for if the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one letter of these eleven be worthy to make a part of speech all the rest may bee worthy also Yet more specially of that in the second rule Here it is enough to observe that any kinde of word whatsoever none excepted comes from a root seeing that the root it selfe never stands in any booke as the root but the words descending from the roots This first rule of Analogy shewes us likewise by what liberty and yet with a regularity words may be multiplied to wit as wee say in Latine and Greec Analogicè according to analogy the right whereof is to forme words in a decent way For otherwise if there were not such lawfulnesse then wee might never make bold to forme any new word in this orientall primitive tongue where wee had none before As for instance In Ebrue I may make a verbe of
The significations of them you may finde there or in any Dixionary I was therefore so large with them because the same holds in Calde Samaritic Syriac Arabic and Etiopic Nay of all these you will finde the most part in Arabic which Dialect of all these six is unto us the best known because the fullest of books first agreeing in the same gender with Ebrue secondly in the same variation of the gender thirdly not onely generally in other words besides these occurrent in Scripture but even in all these reckoned up there being not one of them not to be found in the Arabic tongue as yee call it or Dialect And further if that the other words which are ordinarily Masculine and ending upon the third radicall should be found in Arabic Syriac and Etiopic at a variance from the Masculine towards the Feminine as there are many that you may wonder the lesse at it having in the Ebrew Bible it selfe the same variation Finally that yee learne hence not to stand so highly amazed at the frequency of these and other excepted words nor thinke that you dare or cannot go without stumbling through the Ebrue Bible or whatsoever Calde Samaritic Syriac Arabic and Etiopic books because of this great block but rather learne hence to judge that even this multitude of exceptions demolishes that distinction of Masculine and Feminine and these two great Mountaines of Grizzim not Gerizzim or Garizzim Deut. 11 29.27 12. Ios 8 33 Jid. 9.7 and Ebâl Deut. 11 29.27 4.13 Ios 8 30.33 upon which formerly it seemed the blessing and curse were put by the former Grammarians Rule 11. Feminine hath a t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the Root in singular and the Letter of the plurall and sometimes by accident an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quiescent In these the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t is servile and not radicall and yet this servile is not constantly Feminine neither partly in singular as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partly in plurall as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all the infinitives with the third radicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are many times Masculine and yet is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t servile and they are also otherwise frequently Feminine So also ending on a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quiescent as the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before written with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 item 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because all these end on the third radicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quiescent by accident in place of the third radicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is cleare in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and severall others Now because it is so full of difficulty to distinguish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 servile from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 radicall and also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 servile from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 radicall and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paragogic being then for the most part Masculine both in Verbs and Noanes from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessary and formative these distinctions being so full of difficulties that not onely the greatest Grammarians of the Christians but all the greatest Masters of Yishrael among whom the Massoretes are by no meanes of the least ranke did so frequently stumble at that it is a wonder to behold and observed partly by some others of them and partly by the Christians and there are dayly many discoveries more about such mishaps And why should wee chide and trouble young Schollars when they did not know the distinction or that they should know it or else go no further That hath bin the crosses and exceeding great stumbling-blocks which those blockheads the Jewish Masters did lay in the way for themselves and us and yet their authority is so highly cried up The same is true in Syriac and Calde of the words ending in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naturall or accidentall of a hard taske to be demonstrated and proved to be this and not that And God be praised who raises us out of the dust by opening unto us the eyes of the vanity of this terrible bufinesse and Babel And I hope I shall have hereafter in some Latine books fuller and larger occasion to answer unto severall doubts arising in Scripture elsewhere by not greatly regarding the Masculine and Feminine Gender which I will gladly performe if God will spare mee my life and great learned men will bee pleased in the meane time to set themselves on that labour as to seeke together all the doubts which either are all ready made in the behalfe of the Gender or themselves might bee able to make so that sparing that labour which otherwise I could performe as well as they I finding it ready and done unto my hand may the easier go through the resolutions thereof Rule 12. Any of the Letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are for the most part the note of the plurall number This rule is to be understood to hould 1. In the duall which as we said before appartains to the plurall 2. Both in Masculine and Feminine as well of Nounes as Verbs 3. Both in present future and preter 4. With or without the affixes following 5. That they are frequently cast away in all these Dialects as I said in the 14 Rule of Etymology And than in books without poynts there is no difference betweene singular and plurall whence is to be seen that that distinction is not so constantly observed in this tongue as wee imagine And therefore wee must go higher to wit unto reason led by the signification of the word the Syntax Retoric Logic Fisic and Metafific And if you thinke to shun it here or there yet you must resolve some time or other to step forward thereunto by your own reasonable strength because all these letters will faile you in many particulars And is it not better to do that willingly which otherwise you will be forced unto and to do it quickly when it is so that you must do it not being able to avoid it and when yee have done it will give you a great joy viz. that yee are rid of that infinite toyle of the pricks and poynts whereupon you set your hope as upon that which would lead you through all difficulties and doubts though as yet they never performed any such thing in matters of consequence where your reason could not have led you thorough without them but only in easy things where reason would have done you as good service and that with as much ease too But if it bee so that yee did never and as yet are loath to try your reason nor will grant that those which have done and do use theirs can see as much nay more with reason though without these pricks than you without it though having them I say plainly you are no reasonable Creature Therefore these following Nounes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are ordinarily plurall and
first person do constantly fall away and we see by the taw that the taw is onely the characteristicall letter of this order because constant in all tenses The sixth order is the same with the third onely observing the same things in generall that are to be observed in the fifth order The seventh order hath nun prefixed before the root either alone or with the same hee or alef put before it in the present and pretertense By the Jewes the nun is not expressed in future and present but then the following is for the most part doubled by compensation The Arabians doe constantly write it but onely when the first radicall is a nun also then they write it not but in stead of it they double the radicall nun with a marke called Teshdid Rule 18. Besides these seven there are six other orders which because more rare I put asunder The eigth order but the first of these six is knowne by putting taw after the first radicall but when the first radicall is a taw whither naturall or taken in for sin whereof is spoken in the 17 rule of Etymology or alef vau yod when any of these is the first radicall it is cast away and the servile taw doubled instead thereof The ninth order is the very same with the first only that it hath the third radicall doubled either by setting the letter down twice or else by that marke called Dages or Teshdid The tenth order is knowne by putting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i st an old Arabic and thence a Turkish word signifying desire before the root the alef is put away in the future Tense excepting onely in the first person singular which will have it even as the fourth Order hath The eleventh order is the same with the ninth only it hath alef vau or yod put before the third radicall doubled The twelfth order is knowne by putting a vaw doubled by Dages or Teshdid after the second radicall The thirteenth order hath the second radicall doubled and a vaw movable put betweene it In the 7.8.9.10.11.12 13. Orders there is an alef superfluous in the present and preter which as is said is cast away in the future but onely in the first person of the future whereof it is formative as well as in the fourth where the alef or he is the Character of the order Observation The signification and speciall respects of each of them in changing the orders belongs properly unto the Dictionary where it must and may bee set downe and not unto the Grammer it being altogether unfit and uselesse therein Rule 19. The termination of the present future and preter Tense of any Number and Gender doth hold through all the 13 Orders This rule doth shew 1. That there are no Moods or manners as indicative optative potentiall and subjunctive as in Greec and Latine 2. That there are not 4 6 or more conjugations in this tongue as there is in Latine and Greec where there are divers terminations not onely in the indicative but also imperative and conjunctive in active and and passive for those foure or more conjugations All which is not here in this tongue where all the Verbs through all the Dialects are formed after one generall fundamentall essentiall manner and the termination of the pretertense is the same for all Verbs through all the 13. Orders the same in the future and present tense Nay the terminatives of the present and future being one there are onely two sorts of terminations through all the 13 orders for all Verbs through all the six Dialects one for the present and future the second for the preter tense In the present 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the third radicall in the preter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the third radicall so that it could not be almost more simple than it is except that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might have onely a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which would have beene enough and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which would suffice Nor must yee looke upon the Vowell which wee doe not here speake of but onely upon the letters neither that the third radicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are sometimes cast away or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 changed among themselves or superfluously added Rule 20. The same 13. Orders belong unto the Nouns as well as Verbs That is the greatest task in this Orientall tongue to sinde out the signification of the Nouns according to those thirteene orders whereof wee say the same that Seneca did of the Latine Cases of the Nouns not that every Noun hath them all but that none have any more To finde out the reason a priori what this or that order signifyes in the Verbs is an easie thing and what respect proportion degree or reason one order has to the other is easier to bee found then in the Nounes And yet the same is in the Nouns also Which as I promised wee shall observe as in the Verbs so also in the Nouns in the following Dictionary if the publick wealth and the private aide will sufficiently assist mee in that which no Learned man whosoever that hath any understanding in this tongue and observes the obscurity in the translations of the most excellent places in Scripture and which are framed by the Holy Ghost in a Poeticall way can deny to be the onely way whereby to cure all these diseases wherewith our translation is burthened it being full of non-sense and falsehoods and to advance a more perfect cleare certaine and reasonable knowledge of the whole tongue which is not onely Ebrue and Calde nor yet onely Samaritic and Syriac but also Arabic and Etiopic both in the true Grammar and Dictionary except our Ministers will preach and quote non-sense and falshood and the Right Honorable the Lords and Commons Assembled in the High Court of Parliament the expected Great Reformers of the Church will not have it otherwise For many godly Ministers see and finde it well enough that the translation is as yet very full of non-sense and almost in every Chapter some falshood nay very many pious religious and onely worthy Members of the Church of England do heartily and instantly wish for this worke which is as yet not laid to heart nor so much as once moved to the Parliament God grant wee may become thankfull after such infinite mercies and not lay aside I will not say trample under our feete that exceeding bright shining light of this holy tongue which God has first allighted in our Neighbour Countries where they did and doe labour heartily for it spending not onely much labour but money also in the midst of the War that they might have clearer expositions of the Word of God than heretofore and do print Ebrue Calde Syriac Arabic Samaritic and Eticpic parts of the Bible procure
all forts of books in this tongue entertaine the laborious schollars nay the best Gentlemen Princes Earles Dukes States and Kings have a delight to study or to promote these tongues and God blesses them and prospers their good and Christian duties and works whereas we might reape the fruit of their labour without labour if we will proove living Christians APPENDIX OF ANALOGY For the Pricks and Stroaks Rules 1. Any of the letters being cast away are for the most part compensed or as yet remaining by vertue of Dages and Teshdid IN the Orthography it is told us that there are two conditions that you must rely upon in Ebrue Calde and Arabic to see the Dages or Teshdid expressed 1. That the former syllable end upon a Vowell 2. That the letter which is to have Dages or Teshîd have a vowell or go to the following letter with a Vowell If any of those two conditions faile there is no Dages or Teshdid to be expected and if it be there it wants almost all its vertue and power Yet yee must not expect to finde this Dages constantly in any Manuscripts without pricks and yet you will finde it in some places of those Manuscripts that are written with the least care And therefore it must be denyed to the Samaritic Syriac and Etiopic in some measure because they have not written it except in Syriac now and then and in some measure yee must confesse it to be not onely in Syriac for if it bee but once written in the booke it is enough to demonstrate that it is extant but also in Samaritic and Etiopic to Wheresoever you finde it in Ebrue Calde and Arabic you will either finde it or else must understand it to be in Syriac Samaritic and Etiopic The profit of this Rule is that it takes away all these anomalicall examples in Ebrue Syriac Calde and Arabic where any Radicall or servil letter is compensed for than that letter is yet extant it being onely a compendious way in writing not observed in all places or Dialects As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at thou in Syriac and Arabic ant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mibbne n Syriac and Arabic min bne Rule 2. The Dages or Teshdid is either characteristicall eufonic or superfluous This Rule is by all Grammarians given in Orthography where it is not proper For I would onely know of them whither a beginner bee able to reade Ebrue c. without this distinction or whither he must needs know it I am sure hee may read Ebrue Calde Syriac and Arabic without it And why than must it bee put there where nothing is taught but onely that which belongs to reading Tell the beginner that Dages and Teshdid double the letter and thou hast done all that is needfull in Orthography But as for Analogy here these differences if there bee any which expresse the inward nature of it are to be set downe And for that purpose the Grammarians have allowed unto Ebrue and Calde a compensative a characteristic and an Euphonic whereunto R. D. Qimhi in his mielol puts one which hee calls Atemerakhiq a forraigner stranger comming from forraigne unexpected unprovided way of reason The Eufonic is by Erpenius subdistinguished into Deltale Lambdale and Initiale Deltale is the Teshdid upon the letter t after the letter d without a Vowell Lambdale is upon the teeth and tongue letter after the letter l in the personall Noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ille a ud without a Vowell Initiale or that Teshdid written upon the first letter is onely upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the letter n is the last without a Vowell in the foregoing word either expresse or in the Vowell an on in And thus much they say I give my judgement thus that I esteeme the title of compensative to bee superfluous it being the nature or intention of all the species of Dages and Teshdid to compense the letter before left out in writing or pronounciating with doubling of that following letter that hath a Vowell The characteristic is onely that which is written in the second Radicall when the first is not cast away and that both in Nounes and Verbs in the second fifth ninth and eleventh order Now this is also compensative for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are onely for a compendious writing contracted into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for any vertue residing in this Dages or Teshdid Whereby is to be observed 1. That the title of characteristic is not necessary 2. That this doubling of the second and third radicall is a meere accident And therefore in thousands of Ebrue Calde Syriac and Arabic words left away 3. That the doubling of the second or third radicall dependeth upon the pleasure of the Reader 4. That leaving the Dages or Teshdid out of the second or third Radicall the first second and ninth Order hath one and the same externall forme and hence it is that there are so few examples for the ninth order in Ebrue where notwithstanding there are some 5. The same reason may bee given for Syriac where there are none because Dages is almost never written 6. That there is no essentiall alteration in the signification of the word with or without the Dages or Teshdid characteristic 7. Why some word have the same letter doubled as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yisshakar which is now in the Ebrue Bible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to bee read yisshashkar the name of the fifth son of Jacob by Leah And so in many other words 8. That this doubling of a letter is used in every tongue as well as in this primitive where a man will expressesome emfaticall pronunciation 9. That a man may easily adde such an emfaticall pronunciation unto the Ebrue when hee observes the matter as Jud. 14 6. of Simson when hee with force tore in peeces the Lion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the punctatours considering to expresse that force did write the radicall twice or which is the same did prick it to be pronounced twice And so far of the characteristicall dages or Teshdid The Eufonic is no new species of Dages or Teshdid because every one of them are for eufony in the sweet pronunciation with an emfaticall expression Here is to bee observed that the Grammarians call that Dages or Teshdid in the third radicall eufonicr which I call characteristic Erpenins compensative Compensative and Eufonic are generall names appliable also to the characteristic Therefore is it not to bee esteemed as if I were at variance with them That which Qimhi cals Ate merakhiq is also eufonic not contradistinct unto it and is the same which otherwise the Grammarians call Dages lene in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b g d k f t when the forgoing word ends on a Vowell with or without an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quiescent intercurring As for instance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hayahbbayyôm which quiescent h doth nothing against that eufonic